VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Duolingo, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

American Express Company

AXP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$265B
Gross margin (TTM)83%
Operating margin (TTM)17.1%
Net margin (TTM)13.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Credit Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
52/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into American Express Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AXP analysis

Duolingo, Inc.

DUOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$8.6B
Gross margin (TTM)72%
Operating margin (TTM)11%
Net margin (TTM)40%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
68/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Duolingo, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View DUOL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Duolingo, Inc. leads (68 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); Duolingo, Inc. has 2 segments (93.9% in Duolingo App).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Duolingo, Inc. has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

American Express Company

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Market

U.S. premium consumer card issuing (charge and credit) and attached consumer banking and financing

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers

Role

Issuer (proprietary cards) and consumer lender/services

Revenue share

47.5%

Duolingo, Inc.

Duolingo App

Market

Mobile-first, freemium language learning and adjacent subjects (math, music)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers (end-users); advertisers

Role

Digital learning platform / content & software publisher

Revenue share

93.9%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
Duolingo, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
DUOL - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$265B
$8.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
83%
72%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.1%
11%
Net margin (TTM)
13.4%
40%
Sector
Financials
Technology
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Software - Application
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Duolingo App
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
52 / 100
68 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Network, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustData Network Effects

American Express Company strengths

Switching Costs GeneralLong Term ContractsCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided Network

Duolingo, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultScope EconomiesDesign In QualificationOperational Excellence

Segment mix

American Express Company segments

Full profile >

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Competitive

47.5%

Commercial Services (CS)

Competitive

23.9%

International Card Services (ICS)

Competitive

17.3%

Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS)

Oligopoly

11.3%

Duolingo, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Duolingo App

Competitive

93.9%

Duolingo English Test

Oligopoly

6.1%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.